MISSIOLOGY Discussing the Catholic Understanding

Mission is no longer seen as church-extension, but as an on-going dialogue with the poor, the religions and the cultures of the world, building the Kingdom of God and the Church as its symbol and servant.

Donald J. Bosch, Transforming Mission (1991).

Missiology: Meaning and Significance

From its etymological meaning we understand that the term was originally used to refer to a study of the Church’s mission ad gentes. Though the concept to go to the nations of the world to proclaim the good news is as old as Christianity, the term ‘mission’ as such is of later origin, 16 C. CE, so is the subject. As the meaning of the term ‘mission’ evolves with the development of the self-understanding of the Church in the world, so does the reach of the subject within theology. In the contemporary theology, mission means participating in the divine salvific acts (creation, redemption and sanctification) through our work in the given situation.  Missiology as a result, becomes a field that enumerates ways the Church has to incarnate the Gospel to its people adapting it to the culture of the times and places. The subject therefore goes hand in glove with systematic theology and humanities in general – all that helps us understand the context of the proclamation and creatively respond to Christ’s mandate to proclaim the good news to the nations with the development of the understanding of faith.

Theological Foundations

Until Vatican II, the Church understood herself as one who holds the sole responsibility to proclaim the good news to the world and build the kingdom of God (exclusive Ecclesiology). Hence Missiology was solely ecclesio-centric. But only in the wake of the twentieth century, with the articulation of mission ‘as an activity of God himself’ as Missio Dei by Karl Barth (1886-1968) and later further elaborated in International Missionary Conference in Willingen (Germany 1952), the church began to rethink her understanding of missions.

This novel understanding took deep roots in catholic theology so much so it drew the inspiration to note that mission as a participation of the church in the salvic plan of the holy trinity (Trinity). We began to understand our God as a missionary God, who saves the world through Christ (Christology) in the ever animating presence of the Holy Spirit (Pneumatology). The Church began to rethink herself as not as the authour of the missionary work but as only an instrument in the mission of God through Christ in Holy spirit. Hence the mission from being ecclesio-centric, turned out to be god-centered with the Vatican II. Missiology then evolved into a subject that could translate the new understanding of mission as mission dei in the missionary activities of the church as an instrument of God. Let us now analyse the later documents that further present the implications this understanding.

Vatican II: Seeds of New Understanding of Mission

Ad Gentes, Lumen Gentium, and Gaudium et Spes

 Taken together these two documents were pioneering the new wave on the Catholic conception of mission. We can summarize the new elements in three points. First, they rightly stress that the Church mission’s is essentially a participation in the mission of Christ and it is an obligation that comes with our baptism (AG 2). Second, they insist that the mission can be understood in many ways. The traditional style is one among the many. More often we are called to preach by our lives. It insists that, I quote ‘mission, then, is not about going places, but serving people-down the street or across oceans, in other cultures or one’s own.’ Third, In them we can read in a implied manner that God in most mysterious ways is actually alive in other cultures and religions (LG 16 and GS 26). Hence the understanding of church’s mission as imparting the good news to people in hurry to save them from condemnation shifted to a work that is done in fidelity to the commission received from Jesus Christ her groom/the head. Hence there is an extensive discussion on Inculturation – the method and necessity (AG 11 and 22). 

Further Clarficiations: Evangelii Nuntiandi (1975), Dialogue and Proclamation (1984) Redemptoris Missio (1990) and Ecclesia in Asia

The new broader inclusive understanding of the mission sought further clarifications in the later encyclical EN by Paul VI. The document arose in a time, when there were questions on the self identity of the church as a missionary. It seemed futile to be earnest about the preaching the good news when there is salvation outside the Church. EN but clarified that the newer understanding of God’s salvific plan and his spirit active in all religions and cultures that promote human well being, does in no way affect the Church’s evangelizing mission. But, the whole concept took a new understanding that the whole mission is collaborative effort always in an intrapersonal, interpersonal and transpersonal dialogue. Mission was no more understood as an urge to expand the church but to realize the kingdom of God on earth through life example and participation in the histories of the people (EN 15,16, 20, 22, 41, 37). The new thrust towards dialogue in our proclamation keeping in mind the pluri-religious global context, gets verbalized in the document DP. Church understood that she does not evangelize in a void, instead in a historical situation guided and directed by God through Christ in Holy Spirit.  Hence the imperative to dialogue made church to integrate dialogue and proclamation. But this seemed to pose great danger to the supremacy of the mediation of Christ, thus there evolved a document stressing the necessity of the mediation of Christ, RM (RM 5). Later in EA the point is restressed despite the multi-religious situations of the Asian Context. Though the progress of the official church as regards a broader understanding of the concept mission almost stays put here, the theologians and regional Bishop’s federation have gone a head rethinking the mission interms other than proclamation of Chirst directly or stressing the superiority of revelation in Christ compared to other religions of the world.

New Directions from Contemporary Theology

            Asian bishops federation, World Council of Churches and contemporary theologians especially those from multi-religious context and third world situations have further broadened the our understanding of mission for the world today. It is now more understood as an imperative from god, not an option, to establish his kingdom on earth i.e. a just and compassionate society where everyone enjoys capability to lead a life they have reason to value. Hence the mission is now understood more interms of dialogue inside and outside. The former focusing on the inner transformation of the Church as a symbol and servant of God’s kingdom and the latter focusing on the transformation of the society that it may be enjoy ‘life in fullness’ (Jn. 10.10) that is offered by Jesus in the Gospels.

Bibliography

Amaladoss, Michael. The Mission Institutes in the New Millennium. (Text from the authour)

Bevans, Stephen. Church Teaching on Mission: Ad Gentes, Evangelii Nuntiandi, Redemptoris Missio and Dialogue and Proclamation. (Text from the authour)

Correya, Cassius. Missiology.  Class Notes. DBTC, Kavarapettai – Chennai: 2014.

Kaunkal, Jacob. Church and Mission in Asian in the Light of Ecclesia in Asia. (Text from the authour)